Archive for the ‘Book’ Category

Chapter 15: No new book about hospitality would be complete without including a discussion of Trip Advisor. They are now the 800 pound gorilla of the travel industry. As a kid people were always commenting on my name. Now there is a whole generation that has no idea who “Steve Allen” was. I often wondered […]

Chapter 14 To me there is a big difference between a full service country inn and a bed and breakfast, but many refer to both as a bed and breakfast. So if you are a bed and breakfast it is extremely important that those two components, the bed and the breakfast are taken very seriously […]

The Dining Room Chapter 13: In 2006 if you wanted to give a generous assessment of the Sugar Hill Inn’s dining room you would see a delightful breakfast room. In the morning with windows on three sides, the room is bright and sunny. The room had natural wooden tables and simple schoolhouse chairs. The tables […]

Chapter 11 It is now a forgotten fact by everyone but me that I once was the dinner chef at the Sugar Hill Inn. As I look back I feel good about how I met the challenge and very pleased that my leaving made way for Executive Chef Val Fortin. Everybody liked my food but […]

Chapter 10 I don’t understand it but I am a restaurateur. I own what many think is the best restaurant in the White Mountains. Besides from some momentary fantasies, I never envisioned myself owning a restaurant. Life has so many twists and turns that defy the best of plans. The restaurant is a tale of […]

Chapter 9: I have always had a vision in my head of what the Sugar Hill Inn could be. I have been fortunate to have a dedicated team of managers and employees who have understood that vision and through their talents we have achieved so much. I believe that we have reached the point in […]

Chapter 8 March 2007: My guests loved the inn as it was and that was why they were my guests. Many had been coming here for years. They were ok with an inn that was rough around the edges in exchange for lower rates. This was not an uncommon strategy, to cut costs to the […]

Chapter 7: I am frequently complimented on the Sugar Hill Inn’s staff and this of course is music to my ears. How did such a small inn in the middle of nowhere assemble such a talented team? We have an award winning Chef and our guests tell me that Susan is the best massage therapist […]

Chapter 6: In 2006, what I loved about the Sugar Hill Inn was its potential to be great some day. It had 15 acres, great views, and a farm house dating back to 1789. However, the roof was bad, the paint was peeling, the plumbing was old and the water smelled bad among other things. […]

Chapter 5 Even with the seventy hour work week, I enjoy being an innkeeper. It is the most demanding but best job I have ever had. Until buying the Sugar Hill Inn I was never known as a workaholic. Being an innkeeper is more a life style then a job. For those that can totally […]